French word

gage

Pronunciation

IPA/gaʒ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpledge

Example

Elle a mis son collier en gage pour obtenir de l'argent.

She pledged her necklace to get money.

Illustration for gage (pledge)

More examples

Il est allé au prêteur pour racheter son gage.

He went to the pawnbroker to redeem his pledge.

Core concept

An object temporarily changes hands as a debt guarantee, with its possible sale hanging over the borrower.

Common phrases

  • racheter son gage

    redeem his pledge

Similar words

hypothèque: Borrowing money with real estate offered as collateral.
garantie: A commitment to fix or replace a product or service if it fails.
dépôt: Money or property temporarily left in someone's care.
caution: A security payment required for a rental agreement or contract.

Definition in French

Chose remise comme garantie par une personne endettée, susceptible d'être vendue si la dette n'est pas réglée.

Word origin

French gage developed from Old French gage, a Germanic borrowing for an object handed over as a pledge.

Usage tips

  • In legal French, gage normally concerns movable property, whereas hypothèque secures a debt against real property.

Other meanings

  • collateralnoun

Word lists with this word